The State Minister of Lands Sam Mayanja has ordered for cancellation of the freehold land title of a prime plot belonging to a prominent businessman in Luwero town council.
On 1st July 1979, Late Yafeesi Ssembatya obtained a lease on block 652 plots 335,332, 331, 330 and 329 in Luwero town council. Ssembatya acquired a 49-year lease on 1.30 acres of land from the Uganda Land Commission.
The prime plots of land are located between Don Petrol Station and Pension House in Luwero town council along Kampala-Gulu highway.
However, in 2001 before the lease expired, Dan Nsubuga a prominent businessman also obtained a lease on the same land and later converted it into a freehold title which was issued at block 652 plot 629.
Recently the administrators of the land Betty Namyalo and Fred Ssemwanga petitioned the Lands Minister Sam Mayanja demanding cancellation of land title insisting the lease is still running for the next seven years. The administrators alleged that the title was processed fraudulently without their knowledge.
But Nsubuga insists that he acquired the lease on the land from Mpiira Bagayire the Former Luwero District Chief Administrative Officer and he later converted it into a freehold land title with authorization from District Land Board.
Nsubuga added that he has occupied the land for 20 years and the complainants had petitioned other state agencies seeking to evict him but with no proof of ownership.
On Wednesday State Minister Mayanja visited the contested plot which currently hosts a washing bay, commercial building, MTN Mast, and another fenced free land.
Mayanja said that it was illegal to obtain land title on an existing lease and ordered the Commissioner Land Registration through section 73,77 of the Registration Titles Act to cancel Nsubuga’s land title.
Mayanja says that the titles were processed without following procedures and through fraud.
He however advised Nsubuga to table evidence to the Commissioner in case the former owners of estate administrators surrendered the lease before he acquired it.
Emmanuel Nsubuga the grandson of Ssembatya said they are happy that the family has finally repossessed the land.
Land titles created on existing land titles are rampant in Nakaseke, Luwero, and Nakasongola districts. The district leaders blame the mess on corrupt Area and District Land Board officials who connive with brokers to grab people’s land.
Last week Mayanja ordered for cancellation of six freehold land titles which were fraudulently created on seven square miles in Luwero and Nakasongola belonging to the family of late prominent businessman Cranmer Kaaya.
The order affected several people among them former Vice President Edward Ssekandi who acquired one and half square miles of the contested land.
Others were Dr. Alice Nakiwoga, John Bizimungu, Dan Mutagubya, Florence Asiimwe, and Beatrice Nyayisanga.